The long-term objectives of this application are: 1) To increase opportunities for faculty and students to engage in sponsored research activities 2) To transform Florida Memorial College into a research oriented institution. As a result of implementing these objectives, the number of graduates entering graduate/professional degree programs in the biomedical sciences will be increased. We believe that in order to achieve the stated goals, students must be exposed to and engage in biomedical research opportunities early in their undergraduate education. However, in order to be successful in this endeavor, our faculty must remain active in their research and invite students to participate in research projects. Participation of Dr. Thomas E. Snowden in the ten-week summer Faculty Research Enhancement Support Program (FRESP) will be crucial to the faculty in obtaining support for their research. Implementation of our proposed Institutional Plan will allow us to create an excellent research environment for our faculty and students in the biomedical sciences and will help us in attaining our long- term objectives. Upon his return from the FRESP summer residency, Dr. Snowden will serve as the focal point for funding opportunities in the biomedical sciences for Florida Memorial College. He will assist other faculty in the Division of Natural Sciences & Mathematics in locating sources of funding and in preparing their grant applications. Dr. Snowden will also engage in a pilot research program to generate preliminary data. We are seeking five years of funding for this application.